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The Sisters
Bella and Jimmy, long lost soul-mates, re-discover each other in a chance encounter that forever changes their lives. Jimmy, however, is already engaged to marry Bella's sister, Veronica.Heart-broken, they continue along their destined paths in life, journeys that flow from the shores of historic Galveston Island on the Gulf of Mexico to the icy depths of Lake Superior in Duluth, Minnesota. Along the way, life confronts them with devastating losses - and experiences that defy explanation. Bella seeks solace through her spirit guide and visits to the other side of life.The sisters, torn apart by their love for the same man, spend many years locked in a cycle that fluctuates between feuding and estrangement. It is only after Jimmy's death that they begin to discover secrets buried within a past life they once shared. Secrets that may help them to unravel this bizarre love triangle.Can they find a way to heal, to forgive, and to break free from the karma that has haunted them for an eternity? Or, is it too late to penetrate the veil separating the world of the living from the land of the dead?"An amazing novel that will certainly open a lot of people's minds and help them to better understand reality behind the veil of human life - something that is often overlooked in western society." Eric J. Christopher, Past Life Regression Therapist"Janet Kay is a gifted storyteller who enthralls her readers with her brilliant imagination and alluring plots. You won't be able to put this book down." Stacie Theis, Book Reviewer, Beachbound Books
- GenresFiction
Audible Audio
First published April 28, 2018
6 people are currently reading
2462 people want to read
About the author
Janet Kay
6 books83 followersJanet Kay lives and writes on a lake in the woods of Northwest Wisconsin.
Drawn to nature since she was a child, she sees its wonders as a source of renewal, reflection, and connection with something greater than oneself.
She is also strongly drawn to the Victorian era. This is reflected in her writing.
Her lifelong passions include creative writing, travel, photography, and spending time with family and friends.
She has published five novels to date - Waters of the Dancing Sky, Amelia 1868, The Sisters, Rainy Lake Rendezvous, and her latest release - Unfinished Business.
An intriguing psychological thriller with a supernatural twist, Unfinished Business is set along the North Shore of Lake Superior including Isle Royale and Voyageurs National Parks.
According to Valerie Biel, award-winning author of Beyond the Cemetery Gate:
"From intriguing to terrifying, this thriller is a page-turning read! It's the perfect mash up of paranormal mixed with historical fiction alongside a budding romance as a family mystery is unraveled. It's Wendy Webb's "The Haunting of Brynn Wilder" meets the classic movie "Somewhere in Time."
Check out her website at
http://www.novelsbyjanetkay.com
Drawn to nature since she was a child, she sees its wonders as a source of renewal, reflection, and connection with something greater than oneself.
She is also strongly drawn to the Victorian era. This is reflected in her writing.
Her lifelong passions include creative writing, travel, photography, and spending time with family and friends.
She has published five novels to date - Waters of the Dancing Sky, Amelia 1868, The Sisters, Rainy Lake Rendezvous, and her latest release - Unfinished Business.
An intriguing psychological thriller with a supernatural twist, Unfinished Business is set along the North Shore of Lake Superior including Isle Royale and Voyageurs National Parks.
According to Valerie Biel, award-winning author of Beyond the Cemetery Gate:
"From intriguing to terrifying, this thriller is a page-turning read! It's the perfect mash up of paranormal mixed with historical fiction alongside a budding romance as a family mystery is unraveled. It's Wendy Webb's "The Haunting of Brynn Wilder" meets the classic movie "Somewhere in Time."
Check out her website at
http://www.novelsbyjanetkay.com
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
August 14, 2022
Have you ever wondered if your life was one of destiny or chance? Or wonder if those we meet in our life are predetermined or merely happy (or unhappy) occurrences? Janet Kay explores those topics in her charming, intriguing novel, The Sisters.
As the title suggests, this novel centers around two sisters who are from a wealthy and prominent family in Galveston, Texas. As children, Bella and Veronica, were very close, but as adults they are not. Although they both live on Galveston Island, they live very different lives.
Bella lives in a small cottage on the far end of the island and is an eccentric artist and writer. Bella is also a believer in the supernatural—ghosts, hauntings, spirit guides, and so on. Whereas Veronica is a pillar of the community, worried about the family’s reputation, and she dismisses Bella’s beliefs as nonsense.
The book opens with the funeral of Jimmy, who is Veronica’s husband. As the story unfolds, the reader slowly learns the secrets that have tied the two sisters and Jimmy together—both in their current life as well as in a past life. Although much of the book is from Bella’s viewpoint, there are chapters told in first person by the other main characters, ranging from Veronica to the spirits of Jimmy and a long-ago ancestor, Isabella. Each of the chapters pulls the reader deeper into the secrets and longings of all involved.
In addition to the two sisters and Jimmy, I found the character of Isabella to be very compelling as she lived and died during the 1900 Galveston hurricane. Isabella is Bella’s spirit guide, and it is Isabella who guides Bella in her efforts to write a book about the tragic 1900 hurricane. In the end, Bella’s book is one of the things that brings the two sisters back together.
I don’t want to reveal any more of the plot except to say that I found the final secret—the secret of the sisters shared past life—to be surprising.
This novel is a love story with a paranormal twist, and I found it to be an enjoyable and interesting book. However, to enjoy reading it, I don’t feel that you must believe in the paranormal. You only need a willingness to let yourself get caught up in the story.
As the title suggests, this novel centers around two sisters who are from a wealthy and prominent family in Galveston, Texas. As children, Bella and Veronica, were very close, but as adults they are not. Although they both live on Galveston Island, they live very different lives.
Bella lives in a small cottage on the far end of the island and is an eccentric artist and writer. Bella is also a believer in the supernatural—ghosts, hauntings, spirit guides, and so on. Whereas Veronica is a pillar of the community, worried about the family’s reputation, and she dismisses Bella’s beliefs as nonsense.
The book opens with the funeral of Jimmy, who is Veronica’s husband. As the story unfolds, the reader slowly learns the secrets that have tied the two sisters and Jimmy together—both in their current life as well as in a past life. Although much of the book is from Bella’s viewpoint, there are chapters told in first person by the other main characters, ranging from Veronica to the spirits of Jimmy and a long-ago ancestor, Isabella. Each of the chapters pulls the reader deeper into the secrets and longings of all involved.
In addition to the two sisters and Jimmy, I found the character of Isabella to be very compelling as she lived and died during the 1900 Galveston hurricane. Isabella is Bella’s spirit guide, and it is Isabella who guides Bella in her efforts to write a book about the tragic 1900 hurricane. In the end, Bella’s book is one of the things that brings the two sisters back together.
I don’t want to reveal any more of the plot except to say that I found the final secret—the secret of the sisters shared past life—to be surprising.
This novel is a love story with a paranormal twist, and I found it to be an enjoyable and interesting book. However, to enjoy reading it, I don’t feel that you must believe in the paranormal. You only need a willingness to let yourself get caught up in the story.
June 30, 2021
Charming story that weaves two sets of people together over multiple generations. A modern day feud between sisters in Galveston and two 19thcentury best friends in Duluth. Fun to imagine these events and places.
August 7, 2022
5.0 out of 5 stars Janet Kay has created a masterful story of love and suspense which transcends generations
Reviewed in the United States on July 30, 2018
In The Sisters, Janet Kay has created a masterful story of love and suspense which transcends generations. The author interweaves normal and paranormal communication seamlessly. When Bella inexplicably falls in love with a man her sister will marry the next morning, Grandmother Isabella, who died in the famous Galveston Island hurricane of 1900, drops into Bella’s life as her spiritual guide. With her help, the women are given the opportunity to understand each other and the forces that have captivated their family for generations.
The Sisters is a delightful summer read in which the reader cannot help but come to admire and/or love the characters. Janet Kay has a way of wrapping up the story that is unexpected and quite soul satisfying. Highly recommended.
Reviewed in the United States on July 30, 2018
In The Sisters, Janet Kay has created a masterful story of love and suspense which transcends generations. The author interweaves normal and paranormal communication seamlessly. When Bella inexplicably falls in love with a man her sister will marry the next morning, Grandmother Isabella, who died in the famous Galveston Island hurricane of 1900, drops into Bella’s life as her spiritual guide. With her help, the women are given the opportunity to understand each other and the forces that have captivated their family for generations.
The Sisters is a delightful summer read in which the reader cannot help but come to admire and/or love the characters. Janet Kay has a way of wrapping up the story that is unexpected and quite soul satisfying. Highly recommended.
November 3, 2024
Loved this book…both the familiarity and the unknown of it. I loved the setting of Galveston Island. I am familiar with many of the places mentioned. But the twist into the unknown about half way through took me by surprise. I like to read stories about family relationships especially discoveries about older generations but the paranormal element is something I rarely read about and found it refreshing. This author’s view of the afterlife was also unique. Can’t wait to revisit some of the Galveston sites mentioned after reading this book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 11, 2020
I won this book in a Goodreads Giveaway and am really glad I got a chance to read it. You've given me a lot to think about, Janet Kay! Thank you!
January 18, 2020
The Sisters, steeped in the occult and spiritism, is a cautionary tale of three souls locked in a cycle of jealousy, rage, and despair. This lifetime could be their chance at forgiveness.
Kay’s novels are set in exotic eras of unusual settings, always painstakingly researched with believable characters experiencing the reality of their situation. In this story, Bella relives the shock of a soul lost in the devastation of the 1900 hurricane that shredded Galveston, Texas. But the gift of Bella’s spirit guide is only the means to show her truths of a battle that she can ultimately decide to win or lose…again.
Bella and her older sister Veronica are two sides to the coin of an old-money, well-established family on Galveston island. Bella has always had a wild side, whereas Veronica has always been a “stuffed shirt,” concerned with reputation. Bella seems to have inherited all the passion between the siblings. The story opens at the death of Veronica’s husband Jimmy, a self-made man chosen for her by her father, but living a double life. Since girlhood Bella is the sister who accepts the hauntings of her ancestral home while Veronica pooh-poohs the whole notion…until the death of the girls’ mother a short two months after Jimmy. While Bella writes her spirit-guided novel in her cozy little cottage, strange occurrences at the family home send Veronica looking for answers at the island’s Witchery shop. The sisters meet by chance downtown when Bella finishes her book, and decide to call a truce. But the reconciliation is short-lived when Bella simply can’t find a happy place, even for a moment, whenever Jimmy’s name is invoked. Jimmy isn’t the only soul with a secret.
Upon accidentally overhearing gossip, Veronica is forced to look at the truth of her life. She attempts to reconcile with Bella one last time in a triumphant party to celebrate Bella’s book. Tragedy sends Veronica over the edge to search for understanding the lies she’s accepted and reinvented through several lifetimes. But forgiveness can’t be one-sided. Veronica’s revelation, “That’s the way I’d always handled troubling situations in my life—locking my emotions away someplace deep down so I wouldn’t have to deal with them,” shows how these souls have struggled.
Told in first person through four characters, Kay explores an imaginative idea about choice, justification, reunion, and reincarnation. “We decide what’s right and wrong,” declares a spirit on the other side. Those who like ghosts and the occult will find a lot to think about in this tale of love and loss.
Kay’s novels are set in exotic eras of unusual settings, always painstakingly researched with believable characters experiencing the reality of their situation. In this story, Bella relives the shock of a soul lost in the devastation of the 1900 hurricane that shredded Galveston, Texas. But the gift of Bella’s spirit guide is only the means to show her truths of a battle that she can ultimately decide to win or lose…again.
Bella and her older sister Veronica are two sides to the coin of an old-money, well-established family on Galveston island. Bella has always had a wild side, whereas Veronica has always been a “stuffed shirt,” concerned with reputation. Bella seems to have inherited all the passion between the siblings. The story opens at the death of Veronica’s husband Jimmy, a self-made man chosen for her by her father, but living a double life. Since girlhood Bella is the sister who accepts the hauntings of her ancestral home while Veronica pooh-poohs the whole notion…until the death of the girls’ mother a short two months after Jimmy. While Bella writes her spirit-guided novel in her cozy little cottage, strange occurrences at the family home send Veronica looking for answers at the island’s Witchery shop. The sisters meet by chance downtown when Bella finishes her book, and decide to call a truce. But the reconciliation is short-lived when Bella simply can’t find a happy place, even for a moment, whenever Jimmy’s name is invoked. Jimmy isn’t the only soul with a secret.
Upon accidentally overhearing gossip, Veronica is forced to look at the truth of her life. She attempts to reconcile with Bella one last time in a triumphant party to celebrate Bella’s book. Tragedy sends Veronica over the edge to search for understanding the lies she’s accepted and reinvented through several lifetimes. But forgiveness can’t be one-sided. Veronica’s revelation, “That’s the way I’d always handled troubling situations in my life—locking my emotions away someplace deep down so I wouldn’t have to deal with them,” shows how these souls have struggled.
Told in first person through four characters, Kay explores an imaginative idea about choice, justification, reunion, and reincarnation. “We decide what’s right and wrong,” declares a spirit on the other side. Those who like ghosts and the occult will find a lot to think about in this tale of love and loss.
June 20, 2019
The Sisters by Janet Kay was a very different type of read for me. I don’t normally read “ghost” stories, but this one quickly drew me in both by way of setting and plot. I do occasionally like a time slip story, and The Sisters carries echoes of that genre.
First, I’ve never read anything in fiction about the terrible hurricane that devastated Galveston Island so long ago. The setting became an eerie antagonist, lending ambiance and peril to the tale. Secondly, I felt the author handled the familial entanglements, on which so much of the plot rests, very deftly and truthfully. I couldn’t guess just where the story was going to go, but I found it to be a satisfying read, and I especially liked the ending.
First, I’ve never read anything in fiction about the terrible hurricane that devastated Galveston Island so long ago. The setting became an eerie antagonist, lending ambiance and peril to the tale. Secondly, I felt the author handled the familial entanglements, on which so much of the plot rests, very deftly and truthfully. I couldn’t guess just where the story was going to go, but I found it to be a satisfying read, and I especially liked the ending.
May 29, 2018
I was instantly drawn into the story of Bella as she gets swept off her feet by Jimmy a few weeks before he is set to be married. After their magnetic affair, Bella finds out that this man she instantly loves is the person who is planning to marry Bella’s very own sister within a few weeks. The web is complicated by the love between Jimmy and Bella in spite of his planned marriage to the sister. Between travels beyond our earthly bounds and visits back again the plot keeps you turning pages. An intriguing story that makes the reader ponder the ordinary life of two feuding sisters and the past lives of the sisters which cause karmic consequences.
June 3, 2019
The tale of two sisters, two different lifetimes and the man who comes between them.
Bella is the free spirited sister who believes in ghost. Has a child out of wedlock and is shunned from Galveston society, moves away from Aston Villa
Veronica follows all the rules and seems to be the most beloved by her mother.
Everything goes to the pot even jimmy Veronica husband passes away.... secrets of two lifetimes start to come out
Will theses sisters make up before time runs out
I picked up this book while on my Honeymoon. Mainly because of the cover it’s my favorite Mansion
Bella is the free spirited sister who believes in ghost. Has a child out of wedlock and is shunned from Galveston society, moves away from Aston Villa
Veronica follows all the rules and seems to be the most beloved by her mother.
Everything goes to the pot even jimmy Veronica husband passes away.... secrets of two lifetimes start to come out
Will theses sisters make up before time runs out
I picked up this book while on my Honeymoon. Mainly because of the cover it’s my favorite Mansion
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 23, 2018
Given to me for a review; thank you, Janet. I really enjoyed this story about these two sisters, and their life stories here on Galveston Island. So many well-known (and not so well-known) places mentioned throughout the book, so much of Galveston's history intertwined into the stories of these two sisters, raised at the beautiful Ashton Villa, which really added to my enjoyment. This is paranormal, which I usually don't read, but really enjoyed this one. May even try another!
August 8, 2018
Janet Kay is an author who is less well known, but this book deserves to be read.
There was one place in the book where I found it getting weird, but it wasn't enough to take away a 5 star rating. I'll admit that I picked up this book because part of it is set in Duluth, MN, but I enjoyed the part set in Galveston, TX as much, if not more. The characters are relatable and the story is redeeming.
There was one place in the book where I found it getting weird, but it wasn't enough to take away a 5 star rating. I'll admit that I picked up this book because part of it is set in Duluth, MN, but I enjoyed the part set in Galveston, TX as much, if not more. The characters are relatable and the story is redeeming.
April 7, 2019
This was a book that was fast to read, and the plot kept moving enough to keep me moving forward. I wasn't necessarily super into the mystical side of the story, but I was curious enough to see where the story was heading. I felt I was entertained and drawn into the story of the three main characters; Bella, Veronica, and Jimmy.
Source: Last Word Book Discussion (Hennepin County, Southdale Library branch)
Source: Last Word Book Discussion (Hennepin County, Southdale Library branch)
November 24, 2019
I really enjoyed reading this book, it kept me totally involved and challenged with anticipating the next reveal. The era of the great hurricane of Galveston at the turn of the century was a very interesting era, and it is well-portrayed. Actually, the book links the present with that era in an effective manner. The characters are well-developed. The story itself offers a glimpse of history, intense love, and an element of parapsychology. A wonderful combination to intrigue any reader.
May 12, 2020
An amazing novel that will certainly open a lot of people's minds and help them to better understand the deeper reality behind the veil of human life - something that is often overlooked in western society.
Eric J Christopher, Past Life Regression Therapist
Eric J Christopher, Past Life Regression Therapist
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews